77 years ago, #OTD in 1944, the city of Narva in Soviet Estonia was liberated from Nazi invaders as part of the Narva operation carried out by the forces of the Leningrad Front of the Red Army. The city had remained under German occupation since August 1941.
Both Soviet and Nazi command realized the importance of the Narva foothold which paved the way to the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the whole of the Baltic region, creating threat for the Axis ally Finland.
On 24 July 1944, following an artillery barrage, Soviet forces launched the offensive. Land troops were supported by the 13th Air Army. Soviet fighter aviation destroyed Wehrmacht’s artillery batteries and manpower, delivered strikes on communications facilities. On 26 July 1944, Narva was liberated with the Nazis driven back to Tannenberg defensive line.
#WW2 #WWII #WeRemember #USSR #Soviet #Russia #Estonia #Baltic #Narva #historyofRussia #historyofUSSR #militaryhistory
Both Soviet and Nazi command realized the importance of the Narva foothold which paved the way to the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the whole of the Baltic region, creating threat for the Axis ally Finland.
On 24 July 1944, following an artillery barrage, Soviet forces launched the offensive. Land troops were supported by the 13th Air Army. Soviet fighter aviation destroyed Wehrmacht’s artillery batteries and manpower, delivered strikes on communications facilities. On 26 July 1944, Narva was liberated with the Nazis driven back to Tannenberg defensive line.
#WW2 #WWII #WeRemember #USSR #Soviet #Russia #Estonia #Baltic #Narva #historyofRussia #historyofUSSR #militaryhistory
⭐️ UNPARALLELED OPERATION ⭐️
80 years ago, #OTD in 1945 the East Prussian Strategic Offensive of the Red Army started with the purpose to defeat the enemy’s grouping in the East Prussia and the northern Poland. It was carried out by Soviet troops of the 2nd, the 3rd Belorussian and the 1st Baltic fronts, supported by the #Baltic Fleet.
East Prussia for ages had been the bastion of German militarism (this is how ‘The Big Three’ leaders – Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt – referred to it during the Yalta conference). Several defence lines were created there, each consisting of three trenches, also including minefields, barbed wire, pillboxes etc.
⚔️ The #Soviet command intended to breach Nazis’ defence in directions Koenigsberg and Marienburg and cut the Army Group “Centre” from the main Wehrmacht forces, then trap it against the Baltic Sea and defeat in parts.
To withstand the Soviet advance, Nazi command conscripted people of 14-70 years to Volkssturm batallions, bringing the total number of the resisting troops to 800,000.
⚔️ Within the offensive, 6 smaller operations were conducted. As a result of the Red Army’s efforts, #Nazi forces were dissected into 3 isolated parts all of which were liquidated by 25 April 1945. 25 Nazi divisions were eliminated and 12 more depleted. The enemy lost over 480,000 killed and wounded, with some 220,000 taken POWs. Soviet troops also suffered heavy losses.
❗️ Success of the offensive was of a great military and political significance. Having gained East Prussia, the Red Army eliminated the eastern outpost of German militarism and liberated the northern regions of #Poland. The Third Reich lost an economically important region. The enemy’s maritime communications were completely disrupted and supplies to the Courland grouping blocked in the Baltic region stalled.
#Victory80 #WorldWar2 #WW2
80 years ago, #OTD in 1945 the East Prussian Strategic Offensive of the Red Army started with the purpose to defeat the enemy’s grouping in the East Prussia and the northern Poland. It was carried out by Soviet troops of the 2nd, the 3rd Belorussian and the 1st Baltic fronts, supported by the #Baltic Fleet.
East Prussia for ages had been the bastion of German militarism (this is how ‘The Big Three’ leaders – Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt – referred to it during the Yalta conference). Several defence lines were created there, each consisting of three trenches, also including minefields, barbed wire, pillboxes etc.
⚔️ The #Soviet command intended to breach Nazis’ defence in directions Koenigsberg and Marienburg and cut the Army Group “Centre” from the main Wehrmacht forces, then trap it against the Baltic Sea and defeat in parts.
To withstand the Soviet advance, Nazi command conscripted people of 14-70 years to Volkssturm batallions, bringing the total number of the resisting troops to 800,000.
⚔️ Within the offensive, 6 smaller operations were conducted. As a result of the Red Army’s efforts, #Nazi forces were dissected into 3 isolated parts all of which were liquidated by 25 April 1945. 25 Nazi divisions were eliminated and 12 more depleted. The enemy lost over 480,000 killed and wounded, with some 220,000 taken POWs. Soviet troops also suffered heavy losses.
❗️ Success of the offensive was of a great military and political significance. Having gained East Prussia, the Red Army eliminated the eastern outpost of German militarism and liberated the northern regions of #Poland. The Third Reich lost an economically important region. The enemy’s maritime communications were completely disrupted and supplies to the Courland grouping blocked in the Baltic region stalled.
#Victory80 #WorldWar2 #WW2